Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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RITA GRINDLE

Washougal,WA

Summary

Marketing professional with 10+ years of expertise in retail environments, visual merchandising, and in-store marketing. Skilled in driving consumer engagement and increasing sales through effective in-store concept design, product placement, and marketing strategies. Demonstrated leadership skills in inspiring team members to deliver exceptional results. Played a key role in informing retail investment plans for both Columbia Sportswear and adidas through the development of consumer experience tiering frameworks, concept innovations, and prioritized marketing tactics.

Overview

11
11
years of professional experience

Work History

Director, Wholesale Retail Marketing (Interim)

adidas
10.2023 - Current
  • Leads a team of diverse functional backgrounds in visual merchandising, trade marketing, and digital activation
  • Enhances team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations.
  • Oversees the development and execution of a comprehensive marketing strategy for the wholesale retail market, including defining target audience, positioning, and messaging, to increase brand awareness and drive sales for adidas’ commercial volume channel
  • Understands the prioritization of marketing funds and tactics across in-store and digital to enhance brand positioning, ensure cohesive storytelling across platforms, and adapt to an ever-changing retail landscape
  • Monitors market trends and competitor activities to identify potential opportunities and threats in the wholesale retail market.

Senior Manager, Visual Merchandising, and In-Store Communication

adidas
07.2019 - 10.2023
  • Accountable for the retail visual experience strategy for key North America wholesale accounts.
  • Led a team of six: guiding members to think holistically about process refinement, tools. standardization, and asset management; facilitating an inclusive team environment; encouraging ideation and exploration; and prioritizing each member’s career growth and professional development to thrive as individuals and a team.
  • Adapted global adidas visual standards into account appropriate execution strategies within wholesale.
  • Created planning tools and fixture suite analysis to inform product planning stages, rotations, capacity calculations, and optimal fixture productivity.

Global Visual Merchandise Manager

Columbia Sportswear
03.2019 - 07.2019
  • Developed global in-store guidebooks to inform retail execution standards: in-store messaging hierarchy, product merchandising, space zoning, and window activations.
  • Created innovative and scalable global retail solutions with the ability to adapt to regional parameters and localized needs.
  • Owned space planning analysis to ensure fixture suite optimization and modular capabilities.
  • Collaborated with regional visual merchandisers to ensure consistent implementation of the brand's global retail environment strategy across all markets.
  • Analyzed market trends and consumer behavior to identify opportunities within the ever-changing retail landscape.

North America DTC Channel Manager

Columbia Sportswear
08.2018 - 03.2019
  • Led a team of functional visual merchandising and in-store marketing experts focused on Columbia's North America own retail.
  • Input into the global seasonal marketing plan to ensure relevant North America regional specific asset needs were met.
  • Managed the briefing process, creative reviews, and work back schedules for seasonal marketing programs and in-store executions.
  • Developed tools to increase execution efficiency: vendor merchandising platform, asset ordering portal, and monthly executive reporting cadence.

Visual Presentation Manager, DTC

Columbia Sportswear
03.2017 - 08.2018
  • Visual merchant accountable for Columbia’s North America visual presentation standards covering 300+ DTC doors.
  • Owned the strategic direction for multi-channel doors: store design, fixture development, and visual merchandising.
  • Worked cross-functional with product merchandising, marketing, retail development, procurement, and field staff.
  • Introduced a new third-party merchandising process, platform rollout, and monthly reporting.
  • Maintained the integrity of store environment concepts through strict design criteria, standards, and directives.

Omni Merchandiser

Athleta
11.2015 - 03.2017
  • Acted as a bridge in cross-functional planning between product merchandising, planning, marketing, and design teams to identify product hierarchy aligned with seasonal brand initiatives and ensure a “one voice” brand marketing strategy
  • Defined seasonal marketing asset needs for product highlights, volume drivers, and consumer engagement pieces
  • Supported the digital brand strategy through weekly analytics based on traffic, sales, and conversion.

Merchandiser, Apparel

Asics
03.2013 - 10.2015
  • Merchandiser specializing in multi-category, cross-functional assortment strategies for Men’s and Women’s active apparel
  • Member of the global product marketing team, working through the full product life cycle from line creation through range launch
  • Key responsibility in developing pre-planned, consumer right assortment strategies for Asic’s North America wholesale and DTC channels.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Photography And Digital Imaging

University of Colorado At Boulder
Boulder, CO

Skills

  • People First Leadership
  • Visual Disruption and Innovation
  • Scalable Retail Solutions
  • Tools Standardization & Streamlined Efficiencies
  • Omni Channel Workflow Management
  • Space Planning & Fixture Optimization

Timeline

Director, Wholesale Retail Marketing (Interim)

adidas
10.2023 - Current

Senior Manager, Visual Merchandising, and In-Store Communication

adidas
07.2019 - 10.2023

Global Visual Merchandise Manager

Columbia Sportswear
03.2019 - 07.2019

North America DTC Channel Manager

Columbia Sportswear
08.2018 - 03.2019

Visual Presentation Manager, DTC

Columbia Sportswear
03.2017 - 08.2018

Omni Merchandiser

Athleta
11.2015 - 03.2017

Merchandiser, Apparel

Asics
03.2013 - 10.2015

Bachelor of Arts - Photography And Digital Imaging

University of Colorado At Boulder

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